4-year-old raises awareness for need of bone marrow donors

NEW YORK (FOX5NY) - On Monday, 4-year-old Owen Hogan became the youngest person to ring the closing bell at the New York Stock Exchange.

Owne was there to rais awareness for the need for bone marrow donors. He is a blood cancer survivor who was saved by a transplant two years ago.

"Owen had a disease called Aplastic Anemia," Time Hogan, Owen's father says. "The situation was so dire that he needed a bone marrow transplant to survive. Thanks to some stranger's generosity, they donated their bone marrow and saved Owen's life."

While 30 percent of patients can find a donor within their family, 70 percent must rely on strangers to donate. That's where the organization Delete Blood Cancer DKMS comes in.

"I received a phone call from Owen's father Tim. He had actually been put in touch with me through another firefighter I had worked with, I heard his story, wanted to help him out and we started to put out blood donor drives," Kirland says.

People can register as a potential bone marrow donor if they are between 18 and 55, in good health, live in the United States and are at least 4'10" tall and weight 110 pounds.

"You're putting your hand up and saying 'I'm here if you need me. I'm here if you ever need me.' And the ability to save someone's life, by giving so little of yourself, seems like an overwhelming reason to do it," Kirkland says.

"I can't describe the feeling of being a mom with your child in the hospital, knowing that I'm completely helpless and I'm just waiting for a stranger to come along," Kathleen Hogan says. "We are so grateful that we found our hero."

Now, Owen Hogan is not only looking forward to his future, he's also looking forward to the World Series.